17 December 2004

So, I'm laughing fairly hard right now. I was just skimming the Blogger main page and found that most of the staff's posts are either blowing hot air up the asses of Bloggers whose egos are already inflated past max, or promoting books that teach you how to Blog better. I mean, of course Blogger/Google is a company, and they're out to get the money of the lesser-minded (who, curiously, think they're on a higher plane), but honestly, why books on Blogging? How is this so different from writing in a diary or a journal, albeit now with hyperlinks?

The whole book thing is a farce. The point of Blogs, as I see it, is an outlet for you to divulge to others events that are important to you. Beyond that, I see it as a way for one to practise their own writing skills, to hone and perfect them, as it were. So why get a book telling you how to write what you want? You have problems with your grammar? Get a book on that. You have problems with HTML? There are places that can help. Don't get a catch-all fool's book on Blogging. People will start thinking it's a respectable form of communication beyond the new-age yuppie's method of self ass-patting.

I suppose I understand that Blogging could be a tool for meeting like-minded people, but I'm not sure how much I'd like to meet people off of here based on a few paragraphs I like.

07 December 2004

Well it's been a right long time since I've posted anything worthwhile...well, I haven't posted anything worthwhile since the inception of this blog, but I digress.

Life continues on, albeit at the most boring pace imaginable. Gaming is dull, since I've beat most of what I own, and the ones I'm stuck in bore me. I still don't have a job, and I'm not going to get into that. A girlfriend'd be nice, but I've got no fucking idea where to start. I'm not one for the bars, and most of the girls I've met at bars I'm not interested in anyhow. I don't know, I'm just fucking bored.

We're building an ice rink in the backyard this year, which should be neat. We're really banking on our lawn being level, we've just measured by eyeballing it.

19 November 2004

Today I will craft a story using images! However, they're images of text, so you're still going to have to read. Isn't that exciting?

The following pictures are from IRC today. Sometimes you're privy to some of the funniestarticles...and then there are the times when things aren't so grand. I love it far too much, but for what reason I really don't know.

Oh, and there they all seem to think I'm a huge alcoholic. I wonder what gave them thatsillyidea?

Now, in my defense, I haven't been drunk since last Friday. Last Friday was an adventure indeed. Almost a Friday worthy of Ice Cube in a starring role, but not quite. We had planned to go bar-hopping, as it were, and we decided to pre-drink. Well, I had no idea about this pre-drinking plan, and I had no booze, so enter Julie with her generous giving of vodka. I'm not one to turn down free alcohol, so I drank with reckless abandon. Half a bottle of vokda and 45 minutes later I was pretty good to go, thus, to town we went. One sketchy establishment and a pint of Steamwhistle later, I felt quite ready to go home. I don't recall the space between leaving whichever bar we were at and keeling over the toilet and just going for a gold. I was puking like champion, to be honest. At least the saving grace was that the booze was free and I didn't have a huge hangover the next day.

Seems I must have been on IRC at some point that night though...they mock me. Oh, and contrary to what my Finnish friend Gabriel says, I never signed him up for gay porn. That'd be childish...although I do find it quite hilarious.

Continuing!

...I'd better stop it there and explain myself. Our resident hamster and my personal muse, Hammy, has passed on. About two weeks ago he was having breathing problems and had an extraordinarily large tumor on his side, and a few days later he was found lying peacefully in his cage atop a pile of shavings. I was at home when he passed, and when I returned I had assumed that he'd been buried.

Seems that wasn't the case. To this day a hamster resides in our freezer, for preservation purposes.

Now, before you bitch at me about this decision, realize that it wasn't my decision to make, it was Eric's, his owner. So, we've been waiting to bury him on a day when we're all present. When I stated in IRC that today was the day, that was because I thought tonight was to be the ceremony...but that isn't the case. Other things came up, thus delaying the funeral. So, it's been bumped back to Sunday.

Oh, and as for the viking burial? I'm pushing for it to be at the Lake (Ontario), but the other guys don't seem too keen on it. I just have to make the boat seaworthy. Yeah, I've spent a little too much time on the boat, but meh, I don't have much else to do.

More IRC-ness follows, more hamster banter included.

Half-Life 2...I think I may just be swayed to buy it. That is, if Nintendo doesn't manage to send their sultry temptress, the DS, over to my house, begging me to touch and fondle it in ways I'm not at liberty to write about here.

This is provided I can find money by then.

Oh, and I've two more images that strike close to home:

and this one very much so:

It hurts. It hurts a lot.

Moment of Zen:"He's really cold and hard, but he's still fuzzy!" - Eric, in reference to Hammy.

16 November 2004

I think I'm miserable. You know that feeling when you've got a pair of headphones with one scratchy speaker? Where one channel is crystal clear and the other sounds like a Tim Hortons drive-through with faulty wiring? You're sitting there knowing that something good is going on, that being your favourite song, for example, and it would make you happy...if it weren't distorted and mangled. Not long into the song the tinny speaker's faults near overbearing. Distant and unclear, you slowly begin to wonder how much you really want to listen to this song. Soon after that, you question the song itself. What was once a pristine statement of your person, once a familiar and pleasing sensation, once a true representation of self, now is a scratched, overplayed, and unenjoyable experience. All you'd need to do is take the headphones off, but in doing that you'd cease hearing any music.

14 November 2004

Sean, you seem to think my post is an attack on you, when it's not. My blog is here so I can hone my writing skills, something very important to me. In that respect, I don't see the problem in the expressing of - god forbid - my complaints, no, my musings, on current events. I knew full well that what I wrote would get a rise out of some people, and if you want to believe that it was a sole attack on you, then that's your hangup. Being immersed in the university culture while having the ideals that I do is difficult, and don't think that you're the only one who gives me guff about how I think. Not everyone in school so strongly believes that Moore is the messiah as much as you do, most believe in him because it's the in thing to do. I very much respect your stance on the subject, it's what you believe in and you've obviously gone through a fair bit of deliberation to come to the conclusion that you've reached, so why can't you deliver the same respect unto me?

My posts in the chatterbox are not an attack on your "e-"masculinity, but it becomes again a matter of respect. You've got a point to make, and should you do it anonymously it falls into the realm of obscurity and nears the border of cowardice. And while my blog is an obviously flawed, biased, and self-important repository of swill, I do believe in what I write and I stand firmly beside every single word that I have written since I've started it.

I suppose what I'm most curious about is what you're attempting to argue about in the first place. We're on the same side at the core, anti-Bush. Just because I don't subscribe to the ideals of Moore makes me an inferior, and - I've been told - "uneducated and uninformed" individual? And although I believe that Farenheit 9/11 is a 2 hour high-school quality cry for attention from a money-mongering egotist, it doesn't mean I don't share your core beliefs. You know me better than that. So basically, I'm asking you to drop it. You're not going to change how I think about it, nor I you. And if you want to talk to me about it in a more civil environment, let's do it over a pint, not over the digital pissing-match grounds here.

12 November 2004

My computer and I are at odds. She sees winter coming and, not unlike a woodland bear curling up into a fuzzy 400-pound man-killer, she enters hibernate mode. The difference is that a bear would be roused out of sleep by an irate human being yelling obscenities at it, where Nemu just sits complacently and does nothing. And though it is tempting to bring out a firearm in this case, you wouldn't shoot a bear if it was sitting atop all of your music, anime, and documents simply because the carcass would be very tough to move and the stuff under him would probably get gross and possibly maggoty. While the maggot-laden carcass is a far cry from the metal and plastic retard preschooler that is Nemu, it would still be a hassle to get my crap out of her.

That said, I should be back online hopefully tonight. Hell, I might even craft a real post. But for now, I've got to go get some coffee.

Moment of Zen: Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca is the pinnacle of female beauty.

04 November 2004

So, Bush won. Good for him. Don't expect any praise for him from my side of the border, much less from me. I had this elaborate plan to take a shitpile of people to the Niagara River, brandishing Canadian flags and flipping off the States in silence. After a bit of deliberation, I decided that doing so would be a waste of time and would accomplish nothing. What can we really do? Oh sure, we can go to a large city and protest and pretend we're all instilling change by hooting and hollering and yelling about our discontent...but does this accomplish anything? Maybe if this were 1968, but now? Not so much. Bitch, moan, complain all you want, if you're unhappy with the Bush administration, go do something about it, but make that something worthwhile. Are you going to find time to be another Ghandi, fasting yourself to near death to prove a point, or are you enjoying your plentiful food and living conditions too much? Are you going to be a burning monk? Are you a person who would stand up to a tank? Or would you rather hope for a saviour to show out of the ranks to do the dirty work for you? Sure, you may have a firm grasp on the teat of someone like Michael Moore, but he's no saint, no messiah, and no answer to the problem. He and a handful of other sycophants have given a faint glimmer of hope to Gen-J, that is, the Jaded Generation - those individuals who will blindly despise one leader or figurehead (in this age, Bush), cling to an ideal fed to them by the truth-stretching sycophants who abuse their media image to further their own delusional beliefs, and don't open their minds to anything that might tip them a millimetre closer to the right. For example, for the most part it is universally agreed that the war in Iraq is bad. Of course it is, it was a farce, a cover, and a waste of time. The Jaded Generation believes "It's bad! Get out of Iraq! You don't belong there!" An understandable school of thought, albeit one that only reaches the fifth grade. You have to secede from the extreme left just a little bit to realize that once you step in shit it takes some effort to wash it off.

Nah, I'm not going any further, rambling is boring now. Point is, Bush has four more years, for better or for worse (more than likely the latter). Do something about it or don't complain. Accomplish something.

Moving on...

I've been getting back into the writing scene, a little bit of this and that. Starting work on a script for a movie I'll never make, doing scripts and layouts for the comic that Rei and I have to start (for the third time), and a couple of short story things that I've been meaning to kick out for a while now. I'd get more in-depth about them, I'll save that for another time.

For next time:
Why Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine character is the greatest any man could ever be, and why Ingrid Bergman's Ilsa is the epitome of female beauty.

21 October 2004

A while back I said I'd talk about my favourite Firefox extensions, which I'll attempt to do today. If you don't have Firefox, you're a retard. It is so hilariously superior to Internet Explorer that Billy Gates is probably crapping his gold-weaved drawers thanks to it.

Anyhow, here's an image of my Firefox window, mind you that all this stuff isn't usually open at the same time, it's just open now for showing. I've conveniently numbered the different extensions so it's simple for you to witness. Note the amazing level of kindness I'm displaying here? It's all for you.

1. Down Them All - VERY good tool to download images, videos, entire pages, .txt files, etc. It scans the current page (or the entire site if you want), brings up a list of all the items available for download, and lets you pick and choose what you want. Works great for sites like 4chan. *smirk*

2. Sage - Awesome tool that's integrated right into the browser for organizing and viewing RSS feeds. If you don't know what an RSS feed is, basically what it is is a small text-based preview of a site's updates, and organizes it into topics so you can jump right to the part you want. All of this and it doesn't even go to the site until you want to, as it just sits in a (hidden) pane on the left like the bookmarks bar. Great for viewing RSS feeds like mine.

3. ChatZilla - IRC program that is faster, more reliable, and prettier than Mirc. Now, I only say all that because I never totally utilized Mirc to the fullest, nor did I really want to. It just makes things a lot easier to click one button in the Firefox bar than to go through the whole /join process that I had to in Mirc (a process that I was too lazy to work around, so meh.) I chill in #forum-m. Rock and roll.

4. FoxyTunes - Hip little extension that lets you control damn near any media player with buttons down in the bottom of the status bar there (or wherever the hell you want). Really customizable, I love this thing. My only gripe is that you can't open your playlist with it, but that's a small price to pay to not have to open up winamp each time a song you don't want to hear comes on. It supports the common keyboard shortcuts and whatnot as well.

5. Gmail Notifier - I'm so happy this thing's here. I hate having to go all the way to the Gmail page to check mine. This thing eliminates the need to make the journey. Click, log in, and then it opens your Gmail inbox in a new tab. Simple, but awesome.

Other ones I use that aren't visible are:

Copy Plain Text - If you use Blogger and try to paste anything into their janky posting system, you probably know that half the time it'll be a complete whore and attempt to recreate the text in the original format, thus fucking the entire post up beyond recognition. Copy Plain Text is a godsend. It copies whatever you're...copying...in plain text, no formatting, no anything. Just pure, unadulterated text. If it were a small child, I would pick it up and tell it it was pretty cool or something. Kids like that sort of crap.

Advanced Tab Settings - I hear that this is integrated into the newest version, but if you don't have the newest one, get this. Makes Tabbed Browsing a shitpile nicer. Oh, and if you're using Firefox without using Tabbed Browsing, you're missing one of the best parts of the whole Firefox thing.

IE View - Sometimes - and hopefully this will be fixed in the next update - Firefox doesn't display pages formatted for IE properly. This lets you right-click the link to the messed page and opens it in IE. Helpful, but shouldn't need to be there. Stupid IE.

That's all, I'm thinking.

Oh, and Sarah's blog will be here. Needed to fix that link from before.

Moment of Zen: It's how you look and how you feel, you must have a heart of steel. Why do I keep Fuckin' Up?

So it's official, I'm a retard. I was having problems with the links in my blog, so I sent an email to Blogger support outlining my problem. Turns out when you're adding a link, the address prefix of "http://" proves helpful. I'll keep this in mind.

Aside from shows like Unscrewed and The Screen Savers, G4techTV really doesn't have the most impressive programming, especially in Canada. Now it's about quarter to four in the morning, and I've got it on. What are they showing? Apparently the techie equivalent to softcore porn would be showing clips of video game intro CGs from games like Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball, BloodRayne 2, and - bizarrely - Tomb Raider 2. Next time I want to see large-breasted volleyball players I'll....well, I won't. I can imagine how in real life that'd be a bit of a hindrance and all. As for BloodRayne, I don't see how a vampire Nazi-killing dominatrix can appear hot, but then again the show is catering to people who can have arguments in the Wookie's native language. Tomb Raider 2 held - for a brief, weak moment in my life - a special place in both my heart and my hard drive, but never did I get any arousal out of the thousand-odd polygons clinging together to form sultry adventurer Lara Croft's enormous bosom.

I have a job interview on Friday, so check the forecast down in hell, Satan. Better get your toque. It's a temp job, but it's a job nonetheless. Toys R Us, electronics/gaming department. God that'll be sweet, provided I get it.

I've been pissing off the people around me with my woes, so I probably won't get into them in any sort of depth here. A small selection of my problems:

-No current job = no money.
-No money = no food or gas.
-No gas = no going home or anywhere really.
-No money also = no booze.
-No money also = no socializing.
-No money also = no new chair to replace the one that broke and almost impaled me.
-No socializing = no potential for meeting girls.
-No meeting girls = ....well that just sucks.

The food thing is really taking its toll. Today I've had 2 toasted burger buns with Cheese Whiz, 2 Pizza Pops, a coffee, donut, and a few crackers. Clearly I live the life of a king. And by King I mean poor vagrant.

Well, considering it's 4:30 in the AM, I'd best be heading to bed. I've got a long day of starving and large amounts of nothing ahead of me.

08 October 2004

The goddamn mice have returned. The second known mouse eliminated one a few days ago, and while the Humans' victory was a Death Star 1-style success, it was inevitable that the Verminpire would regroup and attack at the Bipedal remote base on Hoth. While Human forces aim to retailiate, and will do so with great swiftness, they need to attack before the Verminpire's still-in-construction Death Star 2 is armed.

The above states two things. One is that we aim to kill the fuckers before they spawn again, and the other is that I'm a huge goddamn nerd.

Click the image to the right, download Firefox. God, I love it far too much. When I get back from Thanksgiving I'll throw out names of the extensions that make me better than you.

I'm out kids, have a good thanksgiving. If you're American, well, have a good Debate, I guess.

Well children, I've returned. Granted, I'm later than I proposed two days ago, but you know, I feel that I've become a better person in the span between these posts, and really, isn't growing what it's all about? I'm sure that if I could figure out what "it" is, my argument would be far more relevant, but for now, I'll just stop and let you bask in how smart I am.

My PlayStation 2 is dead. Seems Disc Read Errors, also knows as "DREs," are bad things (though a few DREs remain acceptable). Seeing as San Andreas comes out at the end of the month, I was more than a little pissed off when I had to send Osaka off to Sony.

An aside, yes, I name my electronic goods. My recent trend has been naming them after Azumanga Daioh or Haibane Renmei characters.

For example, my PC is named Nemu. She's a mellow machine, doesn't get pissed off often, and, like her profile says, doesn't get sick much. Nemu is the successor of Navi, my old computer named after Lain's computer. Navi, in her day, was a grumpy, touchy, surly piece of silicon.

My cell phone is Yomi. Simple reason, I'm in love with my cell and I'm in love with Yomi. Well, girls like Yomi. Since liking an anime character is, as it were, weird. In some places it wanders into the realm of creepy.

I'd go on, but I'd really rather leave with a few shreds of dignity. Let's just say that my PS2 is named after AzuDai's Osaka, and she's a great friend to my GameCube and GBA SP, both of which have names. Hell, even my router has a name.

Anyhow, back on track: I called Sony and explained to them my problem. Simply, my PS2 was reading nothing, the laser had basically died. I'd heard of this before, and given that my system was one of the first offings of the console (30001, I believe is the model number), I half-expected it. Surprisingly, the support guy was amazingly helpful, and within ten minutes I had myself a fresh email that I was to print out and mail to Sony, along with my PS2, and in return I would get a refurbished machine at no cost. All I had to pay was shipping, and hell, if paying shipping is all I'd have to shell out to get my system (which I purchased cheaper than what it was being sold for at the time), I figured it'd be an acceptable investment. I packed up my PS2, printed the letter, threw my all-banjo cd in the Focus and rolled. 25 bucks and one unsuccessful attempt at hitting on the girl at Mail Boxes Etc., my PS2 was packed all cuddly-like and carried in the loving arms of a UPS delivery guy.

So this is my third day of being PS2less, and I'm starting to flip. I have to wait at least seven to ten business days. I am so full of hot hate, boiling within but never reaching the surface, because getting pissed off will accomplish nothing.

All I can hope for is that she comes back before San Andreas is out. I wouldn't want to have to rent one for the time being.

I had more to write, but I should most likely sleep. So, in a future post, expect more on the following topics!

Politics: Bush and Michael Moore - both men of great power, both big honking liars! Do I care about either? Find out!
Gaming: Nintendo's DS comes out in November - will I buy it? Probably yes! Do I need it? Not so much!; Halo 2 - Will it persuade me to purchase an Xbox? Probably not!
Life: My roommate(s) - is my house turning into Real World: Thorold? Will I get a job? Will I ever stop loving Raisin Bran? Will a female character join the cast? If you answered "no" to at least three of the four questions you either dislike me or you don't understand rhetorical questions.

Our roommate, Jay-Bird, is on thin fucking ice with us this day. Normally it's just a matter of overlooking his small faults: bathing in cologne, leaving little bits of toilet paper on the counter that he uses when he cuts himself shaving, and leaving salmon tins out on the kitchen table. Believe me when I say that it's taken quite a while to get used to these seemingly unchangable habits. None of that bothers me too much, because it causes no harm to me or our property.

Lettuce in the toilet is where I draw the line.

Last night we came home from the bar and our friend Lauren decided she wanted a salad, a request we had no problem filling. Jay-Bird happily provided the lettuce and dressing and all was good for a time. Time passed, Lauren's cab came and took her home, and I went to bed. Waking up this morning I see what I assumed was unflushed paper in the toilet, so I just looked away and flushed. Well wouldn't you know it, it doesn't flush, and the water - as if revolting against the norm - beings to rise! On any other day I would have been convinced that this was a fantastic spectacle of water rebellion, but a grim realization set in as it was clear that there appeared a clog formed by ill-set produce. The water never rose beyond the rim, and returned to the original level, the lettuce still floating there like wilted lilypads in a serene porcelain pond. This was such a lovely sight that Eric and I felt compelled to flush yet again. This time the water, in a wonderous turn of events, went down. We were pleased with this progress, but that feeling was short-lived as the lettuce plugged the hole and proceeded to flap around, as if to wave and taunt us. Possibly it was trying to communicate to us that old produce, once reaching a certain age, must follow the Logan's Run formula and be taken to the compost bin, not a vessel for human waste. Now, I don't know if Jay-bird believes the toilet to be a repository for produce, or a vegetable sacrifical altar, or possibly a vortex in which there is no return for excrement, lettuce, or any other seemingly flushable object.

One way or another, Jay-Bird is going to get a fucking earful.

I've been re-watching my Futurama DVD set (first season), and I have fallen into healthy platonic love with Doctor Zoidberg. I think I like him so much is because while people give him shit, and he's always screwing up, he's either too stupid or too smart to care. I'd like to say I can very much relate to that, but I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with likening myself to a cartoon cephalopod/crustacean doctor. Although, he does definitely speak with Jewish mannerisms, and really, who doesn't like Jews?. On second thought, I don't think I want the answer to that.

I've got some updates to do to the layout and sidebar here. There's a new music image under the Music thing, but damned if I know how long that will last.

Moment of Zen: I tell you to walk left and you go right. You're fucking stupid.

19 September 2004

It's been a right honking long while since I last posted drivel of any sort of real length. I suppose I should have at it, since I'm in the mood for writing at this very moment - no doubt a phenomenon that's soon to change.

I still don't have a job, but who honestly didn't see that coming? I almost got a job, though, at a telemarketing place. In theory it would've been the greatest place to work: anonymous heckling of people I may or may not know or care about. The application process had three hurdles for me to jump, the first and second being a test and interview, both of which I passed easily. The third was a little more difficult. My boss-to-be was to call me so we could stage a mock sale, a roleplay of sorts. I already had the following information:

You are calling a businesswoman in her late twenties, she is single and has 2 other credit cards. When you call her she expresses interest in the card (she likes the idea of travel benefits, as she frequently travels for work), but has hesitations. She already has 2 credit cards and is unsure that she wants to take another, she feels her budget is tight enough and does not want to stretch it anymore.

Which was fine. I figured I could sell this lady another card. And then came the actual call:

"Ok, there're a few changes to the profile of our lady. She's not a business woman, she's working two jobs to support her two kids, her husband left her and is nowhere to be found, and is heavily in debt."

Right. I'm supposed to sell a poor lady something that I know will drive her further into the ground?

No. Even I'm not that heartless. I finished the sale (and didn't get her to buy the card, for the record), and told her that I wasn't interested.

Maybe I'll try the pet store.

I've been eating so much barbecue recently, it's fucking silly. We bought a box of 40 No-Name burgers for $7.99, and you can imagine their size at that price. You remember the whole "Where's the Beef?" thing from the 80s? Well, it's like that, but instead of mocking McDonalds, we mock ourselves and our welfare.

Our barbecue reminds me a lot of the furnace from Home Alone. Large, black metal, and it can kill you. It has a nice habit of shooting flames out of the bottom of the unit. I'm not a barbecue designer by any means, but were I to develop one, you can be sure that I wouldn't let fire touch the source of fuel outside of the unit itself (read: the propane tank).

At least it has a bun warming rack.

I've been feeling decidedly Gen-X recently, which prompted me to buy some albums that I never had/used to have in the 90s.

Pearl Jam's Live on Two Legs has always been one of my favourite discs that I didn't own, a claim Kevin could probably support since I always put his copy on in the car. Every track is great, the band's musically tight. Daughter has a few lines from Neil Young's Rockin' in the Free World, Given to Fly is in its best recorded form (and I still maintain that Vedder's voice follows Robert Plant's stylings in Zeppelin's Going to California), and Do The Evolution is probably the most angry you'll hear Eddie get. God, it's a great record.

I never really got into the Foo Fighters, but since the album was cheap I picked up The Colour and the Shape. Pretty darn good record, never realized the amount of singles that sprang from it. I don't care what people say about Dave Grohl, he's a fucking hoot.

Lastly, the barrage of Our Lady Peace on the radio had made me yearn for a new copy of my once-favourite album, Clumsy. Yeah, I was quite a misled kid, but in my defence it isn't such a bad album. 4am still makes me feel like a sissygirl, even though the lyrics are as genuinely sad as watching Nokia's N-Gage fail miserably (which is sad on the surface, but inside you feel warm and fuzzy.) Oh, and Automatic Flowers makes me grin, if only to piss off one person.

I'm trying to get some classes going in January - less than a month into school and I already feel like I'm missing out. Once I get a job I imagine that'll change, but for right now I'll have to pacify myself with sitting in the caf with all of my drawing gear out and picking up the nerd girls. It will work, I'm sure of it. Mmmm...nerd girls.

Time to hit the shower, and to get ready, because I'm going to a - get this - barbecue tonight.

07 September 2004

Sweet Jesus, moving is a hassle. Three other fucking people in my house and the day that my landlord needs one person to be there no one is. It's such a fucking farce. I'm at home right now gathering my router so we can all enjoy the internet in Thorold, and the other guys took last night to get shitfaced and this morning to get hungover and go other places. For fuck's sake, now I have to drive 150km in a mad fucking dash to get back to the house because the landlord has only my cell number, so if no one lets anyone in, then I get in shit. I should enter Child and Youth Studies because I'm running a fucking day care here.

In other news, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas comes out next month. I am filled with boundless glee and numerous other intangible substances. I read on IGN that Rockstar is tied with Interscope Records, and after skimming their list of a few names they've got, the soundtrack looks to potentially kick ass. I threw together a list of bands that might show simply based on my hopes and blatant guesses:

03 September 2004

So since the last post I've done a fair share of things: saw Rush, hit CNAnime, packed my stuff, left for "school." I quote school because I'm not really at school, I'm just taking up space in the computer lab right now. Let's hear it for academic probation, or as I like to say, acacdemnation. I don't really like to say that, as it is rather awkwards anyhow.

Rush was great. Maybe a little too many "hits" from the 80s, but meh, who am I to complain? Lots of drunken yahoos there, and it smelled very much like Otto's jacket. I'm not eating street meat any more though, unless it's Kosher. Props to the Jews.

The anime con was a hoot. I'll get my report, one second.

Well, day one of CNAnime is complete, and I'm bloody tired. I didn't even stay long. Converse All-Stars aren't great footwear for cons, it seems.

Sarah and I got to the con at about 11. I had no idea when it started, as I didn't bother checking, so we were there early. Very early. The con didn't start until 4:00. I pondered many a thing while in line, the most perplexing being "Why, when in large numbers, do nerds smell like oatmeal?".

Anyhow, I got in pretty quickly, we were about the 20th pair to be let in. Booked it straight to the Geneon booth, scored plenty of free crap, then proceeded to mill about aimlessly for a few hours.

Time came for Yoshitoshi ABe (Haibane Renmei, Lain, etc.) and Yasuyuki Ueda (ABe's producer) to autograph crap, so I got crap autographed. I high-fived ABe and rocked out with Takayuki Karahashi (the translator). I say "rocked out" but I mean "nodded my head to the beat as he played his ukelele." He's a cool fellow though.

Day 2 began with us almost dying on the 400, but I won't get in to that. Let's just say under-the-limit hydroplaning is a surprise.

There was a panel with ABe and Ueda that we went to, sat in line for a while to get to it, but in the end it was worth it. We almost sat in the Sailor Moon voice actors' panel, but we left when we found out it sucked. I didn't end up buying anything on Saturday, Sarah got Cowboy Bebop Disc 1. The masquerade was less entertaining than last year's, but some things were alright. Vash and the "glomp me" sign for example. (pictures will follow)

The 3rd day (Sunday) was a nice day, so less chance of dying on the road. Which was good.

There was another panel with ABe and Ueda about their production processes. I gave both of them a present, 2 bottles of Canadian, 2 mini bottles of maple syrup and a mini flag. They dug it, methinks. ABe talked about the syrup in his site (I think).

Oh, and since I'm too lazy to retell this story from the day, here's a copy/paste from IRC:

I saw a table today, two girls drew commissions, and all they were drawing was Yaoi. They had a sign "zomg we draw Yaoi!" and I'm not spelling it wrong. I asked if they could draw me some yuri, and they said no and for me to go away. Bigots.

Here's my gallery with pictures from the con. They're backwards, so start at page five if you want to see them in any semblance of order.

Like I said, I'm posting from the fishbowl/computer lab at school, which is kind of bizarre seeing as I'm not any sort of student. Well, I will be in another 52 weeks, but for now I have jobs to find.

20 August 2004

I'm back. We have a freezer, which will be nice, as it can store many a cadaver pizza. We also have mice.

Bah, that's all for tonight, I'm not too keen on writing and I've got some Disgaea to catch up on.

Oh, and before I go, there was silly discussion about Evolution vs. Creationism in IRC, which made me think of this song (which has more to do with modern man and the skewed American Dream than evolution):

Do the Evolution by Pearl Jam

Woo..
I'm ahead, I'm a man
I'm the first mammal to wear pants, yeah
I'm at peace with my lust
I can kill 'cause in God I trust, yeah
It's evolution, baby

I'm at peace, I'm the man
Buying stocks on the day of the crash
On the loose, I'm a tuck
All the rolling hills, I'll flatten' em out, yeah
It's herd behavior, uh huh
It's evolution, baby

Admire me, admire my home
Admire my son, here's my coat
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
This land is mine, this land is free
I'll do what I want but irresponsibly
It's evolution, baby

I'm a thief, I'm a liar
There's my church, I sing in the choir:
(hallelujah!­ hallelujah!­)

I am ahead, I am advanced
I am the first mammal to make plans, yeah
I crawled the earth, but now I'm higher
Twenty-ten, watch it go to fire
It's evolution, baby (2x)
Do the evolution
Come on, come on, come on Moment of Zen: if I weren't so busy watching Samurai Champloo, I'd think of something better to say here. God do I ever love blue tortilla chips.

Continuing my tradition of bringing nothing to the table, I give you a copy/paste of banter from a recent IRC bout.

Sweeper: oooo, stolen swan is sexayzosobaggins: har, I'll make sure to tell her :P[JoseoftheWired] what[JoseoftheWired] No (Zoso's Note: Jose had been fighting with me about signing up for a blog)zosobaggins: Jo: Get on it, fucker[JoseoftheWired] But I'll make my entry for todayzosobaggins: register joseofthewired to blogger before i do Jo[JoseoftheWired] Woke up at 1... Played lots of tetris. Got a high score. Went and got some pizza. Watch woman's gymnasticsSweeper: don't use blogger[JoseoftheWired] And then I went an IRC and was told to make a blogSweeper: o blogspotSweeper: get some decent hosting, and get a goot script[JoseoftheWired] Current mood: Headache /// Listening to: We Are The Champions, by Queen, in honor of the US swimming teamzosobaggins: I *heart symbol that blogger hates* blogger because it's free, i bust the html myself, and it's not xangaPzP: Tetris > *[JoseoftheWired] Html?[JoseoftheWired] I can't do that[JoseoftheWired] NMAlieu: i *heart symbol that Blogger hates* blogger because of hello and audioblogger.Sweeper: Zo: bring stolenswan to ACen OR ELSEzosobaggins: Jo: you don't have toAlieu: i used to be on pitas.* Sweeper chews on his toenailszosobaggins: Sweep: I'm going to Otakon 05, and she hates anime, so you're pretty much SOLSweeper: Otakon is for LOSARS

These are the people I hang out with online. I love IRC, probably far too much. It lets me use emoticons and crap without loss of much pride. I mostly posted that for Stolenswan's enjoyment, I know how she loves fanboys.

I'm a whore for cheap CDs, especially when they're a new release. As in today. I picked up the Tea Party's new album, The Seven Circles. It's not bad, I'm a little ashamed to say my favourite song so far is one where Holly McNarland makes an appearance. I don't like it because of her - who would? - but it's just an alright song. Didn't finish the disc though, so I'll have to give it another go-around.

I'm going to my house in St. Catharines on Thursday and returning Friday, and then I have a beach party thing on Saturday, and then Sunday I have Rush, and the weekend after I have CNAnime. And THEN I go back to St. Catharines, for good. Wheeeee.

Moment of Zen: And then Trogdor comes in the NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!

15 August 2004

I just finished watching The Butterfly Effect. I adamantly denounce the Chaos Theory for one reason - it pisses me right the fuck off. I can't think about that crap. If I didn't type that last sentence, could my life have been totally different? Who knows? Not me. Drives me up the goddamn wall.

The movie wasn't as bad as I was told it would be, but it wasn't exactly grand by any means. It was formulaic and kind of predictable, with a bit of shock value thrown in for good measure. Chrono Trigger for the SNES did time travel much better. At least I was in the mood for a movie that did the thinking for me; I wasn't up for anything deep anyhow.

In the car, while driving Sarah home, she and I started to shoot the shit about the movie. I guess Ashton succeeded; I began to think about the movie after it was finished. Granted, all it did was make me think about what I would do if I were to change something about my life, in the same fashion that Kelso himself did. I really don't like thinking about that sort of stuff. I know two things that I would ponder changing. First, I'd go back to second grade and get my ass out of the sand pit at school. This, in effect, would have either prevented or delayed my becoming blind in my left eye. It would have eliminated all the crap I had to go through when explaining why I couldn't do sports like the other kids. It would have made me less cynical, less jaded, less bitter and defiant against others. Or would it have? That's the problem. I'm happy as I am today. Not mega-happy, but I've learned to take what I can get. Roll with the punches, as it were. Who's to say that had I not been in the sand pit that day that I wouldn't have died or lost a limb or a friend the next day?

...no. I'm not thinking about this right now. Shouldn't have even brought it up.

Oh, the second thing I was thinking about changing (but thinking of the reprecussions, in retrospect I don't think I would) is that I would've done a lot of things in high school differently. But then, maybe I wouldn't have.

But - moving on.

Next year should be good. "Next year" meaning the start of the next school year. Which hardly affects me. Either way, it should be good. I can't wait to move in to my house, drink myself silly and start some projects that I've had tossing around for a while. My NES PC will see the light of day, as will B-Rock Pirate Radio. Should be grand fun.

I'm quite pumped for CNAnime. I've got my ticket, all I need to do is keep some money in my pocket until then. Less time in bars this month means more time watching anime next. I'll wait until September to become the raging alcoholic I was once, only five short months ago.

Whee!

Moment of Zen: She remembered the beauty, she remembered desire, and her memories filled her with light.

13 August 2004

I enjoy bubble tea. I enjoy bubble tea a lot. I also like driving, and am usually pretty good at finding my way around. Somehow, this night managed to be chock-full of ineptitude as I drove around for about half an hour trying to find a bubble tea place that I go to pretty damn often. Between myself and Sean, we were lost in a familiar area. I have no excuse.

I've been torrenting (OMGWTF I ISH STEALING!!11) Samurai 7. Unlike the game Seven Samurai 20xx for PS2, this series doesn't take Akira Kurosawa's awesomeness and rape it unmercifully. Thank God. I'll go further into depth when I see a few more episodes, but so far I'm pleased.

I picked up the newest (2nd) volume of Negima. God I love this book.

I have to go make a phone call, I think. G'night children. Daddy will be back tomorrow.

12 August 2004

I was right. Not unlike those who predict the future on late-night television, I prophecized that a video game would be my downfall.

I can't stop playing Disgaea.

I am so at a loss for anything worthwhile to say that I'm going to post a quiz that I did online. Pretty sure I've done it before, but it bestows me with different results every few months.

You are Mizuhara Koyomi! You are more of a loner than everyone realizes, but you don't mind having a bit of fun now and then. You are pretty inteligent, and good at a wide range of things, except music, even though you love it. You have pretty bad luck though, and things
never seem to go your way. You worry about your appearances a lot, and have a sweet tooth that you probably indulge too much. You also can be a bit mean at times, and tend to pick on those weaker than yourself. You have a cynical side to you, and are a realist. The things in life that really excite you are good cooking, good ideas, and good jokes... and singing, even though others plead with you not to do it. Your best friend? You hate to say it, but Tomo has been your friend for a long time now. Try doing something which lets you release tension in a productive way... like hosting a radio show, inventing things, or becoming a politician.

Really though, I do love Azumanga Daioh far too much. Maybe I like anime itself more than I should. I was taking a bit of a skim through my collection today, and wrote down all of them. It's kind of depressing, in a way.

06 August 2004

A very good friend of my family's passed away a few days ago, and today was the funeral. Today was not only the first time I was up before 7:30 this summer, but it was also the first time for many things.

I should note that this was a Catholic ceremony, that I've been baptised a Protestant, and I know next to nothing about how this whole funeral thing works. So, we went to the church, and sat down in the pews. A good friend of the family approached me I was asked to be a pall bearer, so I got separated from my parents. Like I said, this was a Catholic ceremony, and I had no idea what was going on. My dad's Roman Catholic (non-practicing), so he could've told me what to do, but seeing as I wasn't near him (I was with the rest of the pall bearers up front), I pretty much was left following everyone elses' lead. At one point you have to shake the hand of everyone around you and say "peace be with you." Well, I didn't catch that part at first, and I thought my buddy next to me said "Pax Romana." I was thinking o....kayyyy..., but eventually I got it. Hey, Roman Catholic event, Pax Romana seemed fitting.

I hit my shin on the prayer bench, and I don't know if I was allowed to pray, what with being a heathen Protestant and all, but I figured, hey, it's the same Jesus, the fax gets sent to the same place. And then there was the crossing myself bit. Again, not sure if I was supposed to do that, but again I followed what other people were doing.

Best of all, at one point you get up and the priest feeds you a cracker, representing the body of Christ. I find this interesting, I have to look it up. Anyhow, it seems this whole thing is for Catholics only. Which, again, I am not. So anyhow, I get up, follow everyone else, eat my cracker, and sit down. Didn't find out til later that it was reserved for the Catholics, but meh, I figure the fellow upstairs wouldn't mind.

In retrospect, Jesus doesn't taste very good in cracker form. I didn't expect Ritz or anything, but at least Premium Plus. Then again, Jesus was a carpenter, and this tasted like sawdust. I think I've found the correlation.

I'd like to point out that I am for all intents and purposes agnostic, but that doesn't mean I renounce the Protestant faith. Faith is a tricky word, and seeing as I question this word far too often, I've decided that instead of trying to work my way into one faith, I strive to experience and understand as many religions as I can. I know the significance of religion, and how it can help people in ways that nothing else can, but at this point in my life, it's not for me.

Well, Sarah let me borrow Disgaea, so I think my productivity level will drop like a sack of bricks. Starting....now.

(editus maximus: Wow, one entire post without a single cuss? I'm good.)(Latter-Day Edit: THIS GAME ROCKS. I can't stop playing.)

04 August 2004

Less a retraction and more of a realization regarding the last post, my god did I sound like a whiny loser.

It still sort of stands however, it would be nice to meet someone new, but shit, I've got better things to do with my time than sit around and bitch about it.

Anyhow.

Went downtown yesterday, got Azumanga Daioh vol. 3. Wanted to visit Nicole, but we were on a pretty tight schedule, so I've still got to do that. Saw Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle last night. Was a pretty funny movie, says I. Not the greatest ever, but having Doogie Howser cameo is cinematic gold.

I have high hopes for this movie but I really doubt that it'll pull through. Shame.

I can't think of what to write. I'm not depressed, though I may be going down that road again. Or not. I have no idea. Gets like this every summer. Can't say I didn't expect it.

I'm just so fucking sick of being alone. I guess I am a fair lot too picky and shy for my own goddamn good, but I can't see a way out of it. I don't want to be a bar troll, I don't want to wear Axe, nor do I want to "find a piece of ass." I don't see relationships as frivolous things. All I can hope for is that I have a chance encounter with someone at the IGA down the road from my new house who needs a hand moving in to their house or something stereotypical like that.

02 August 2004

I have nothing spectacular to say about this weekend. There was a party last night, which was boring as hell, and I knew no one. The only highlight was when a bunch of (drunk) girls asked me if I was the drummer from Our Lady Peace, and I told them yes. I even signed them an autograph. Last night, Jeremy Taggart himself was in St. Catharines with a bunch of kids drinking. I don't think I look like him (far right), but Sarah thinks so. I think Sarah looks like Avril Lavigne, so she's reaching out for something to get me back for all the ribbing I give to her, I think. At least Taggart's a respectable musician.

I've got to watch this Hip concert before they take it down. Someone remind me. Thanks.

I picked up the RahXephon box/movie today, it had better be good. Considering I own 3 dvds and haven't even watched any of it yet. Sarah owes me $43.00 for Fruits Basket 4th disc. She refuses to trade Disgaea for it too. Goddamn. I'm too damn nice for my own good.

Alright, I think I have some Zelda to play. Yes, yes I do.

Here, some depression lyrics for you. Goodnight all.

"In This Time" by The Tea PartyHey hey lady looks like I'm under your spell once again.
And hey hey lady, there just now ain't no denying these things.

Iwill always be here,
Always be with you.

And I know she said, "Let the leaves fall wherever they may"
But I find it hard, hard to find people like she is today.

I will always be here,
Always be with you.
In this time

When you lay to sleep tell me the visions you see in the night.
When you turn around what kind of shadow is cast by the light?

She will always be here,
Always be here.
I will always be here.
I will always be with you.
In this time

Since when is $658.63 economical? God do I ever want this thing for our network, but shit, between four guys that's still....like $200.00 apiece. Or something. Well, maybe $120. But still. I'd be the only one who knows its value, and the other guys sure wouldn't drop that kind of cheddar on such a thing.

Hot damn.

Moment of Zen: She lies and says she's in love with him, can't find a betterman...

Sometimes our chats on IRC disturb me. Not deeply, but sometimes I wonder why I hang out in these places.

Example: I was talking with my buddy Mosh about his blog, and he told me he wasn't too happy with his skill at HTML:

Mosh_No_Pants: I don't know how to edit it Mosh_No_Pants: so I can add cool shit like the banner and the purdy colors
zosobaggins: you just need some html loving Mosh_No_Pants: Sek says the same thing but I am not friends with html Mosh_No_Pants: Whenever I see html in the hallway, she always gives me the cold sholder or knees me in the groin zosobaggins: used to happen to me, then I drugged and captured that bitch Mosh_No_Pants: :O Mosh_No_Pants: with ball gags? zosobaggins: no, she didn't need them
zosobaggins: she just began to love me

To give you a more fair description of the people I hang out with online, I did a study and found this:

zosobaggins: "In the course of seven minutes, someone had been raped, Jews were mocked, Nazis praised, Jesus' name was taken in vain, Canada was insulted (and defended) and gay jokes have been tossed about like salad. Good day, and welcome to Forum-M."

Some days I worry.

You may or may not have noticed, but I've changed the blog. Again. Now it's nowhere near a rip-off of Penny Arcade, and though I still love them very much, I decided to go back to an augmented version of the old colour scheme. The new image up top is courtesy of my fellow N-Driver and artist Rei Nasakii. The image(s) in the top right rotate between nine different ones. If you see one with Pikachu sticking out of someone's pants, those are not my pants. Nor my Pikachu. Nor me in any way, shape, or form. I just really like the picture. Pikapantsu~

I got an Air Miles card today. This means I have to go to the Liquor Store far more often than I already do. I can't wait.

Well, I'm off to St. Catharines for the weekend. Stay smart. Stay safe.

Moment of Zen: Char: " I used to be pretty dumb with computers. But then I found out you can get porn on them. Two years later I was the mod of an internet forum."

28 July 2004

Well plans changed. Again. Odds are my sojourn downtown is cancelled. At least with Sarah in tow it is. Apparently, a boat is more fun than a trip to Toronto. I can understand though, the allure of a boat is nigh impossible to resist. The true temptation of watercraft, it seems, can capture the hearts of almost anyone.

Not me though, I fucking hate water.

Never have liked it. Don't like getting wet, don't like swimming, don't like having to dry off afterwards. Too much hassle for too little reason. Kind of goes against my heritage, what with being half Southern French. Don't even like seafood much.

So anyhow, Sarah's bailed last minute, but I can't say I didn't half-expect it. Claims she's free next week, I believe her. I might still go, Azumanga Daioh Vol. 3 is singing its siren song. You know, the siren song about 5 teenage girls (and a minor) and their disturbingly cute misadventures as they ponce and frolic throughout high school. Yeah, I'm worried too.

I just saw The Bourne Supremacy. Pretty darn good movie, though the SteadiCam work in it was far from being...steady. Stuck somewhat to the book's premise, which surprised me. I'm sad that I didn't get to see more of Marie though.

I've always wanted to be a contract killer. There, I said it. I don't necessarily like the idea of ending lives, so I think if I were one, I'd be a bounty hunter with a heart. I'd hunt people that I know deserve to occupy space below ground. And contract killers always have posh digs. I guess I could be a spy, but then I'd get too paranoid. I don't much trust anyone as it is, so I don't think the spy is the right thing to do. Nope.

Wow, I can't wait for people to take me seriously on that. If you want to know what my real dream job is, it's the humble bird-chaser at the airport. What a noble fellow.

Moment of Zen: If cereal comes with free stuff, it tastes /that/ much better. If it doesn't, you probably have a gym membership. You conceited prick.

Well, I've successfully ripped off the colours and stylings of Penny Arcade. I know I probably shouldn't have, and I know I'm not winning any points for being original, but I got sick of my old colour scheme and I decided that the one I like the most out of all the sites I visit with any sort of regularity is PA's. It's also an homage, of sorts, to Tycho, writer for PA. His imagination works just a little differently than most, and I like to think that I share his sense of humour. He's very capable of writing some really awesome stuff about the most mundane things. How someone can be so eloquent about something as trivial as cat shit is beyond me.

Nintendo has released new images of the DS handheld. I'm really happy with the new design, though it does look vaguely like a Ferrari cosmetics case. Hopefully they've learned from the SP (and the GameCube, for that matter) that the small d-pad is a real bitch to work with at times. The d-pad on the DS seems to be a fair size, given its dimensions in relation to the face buttons. I really have high hopes for this thing, but I don't know how long the kitsch of the dual screens can last.

Alright, I've got some things to do. Video editing is a bitch when your parents want you to do it, and they have absolutley no idea how long the process actually takes.

Moment of Zen: Your hair doesn't smell as good as it used to, but it still looks nice.

27 July 2004

A public announcement: You could be the hottest girl in the world. You could have an awesome personality. You could be the nicest person ever. And then you bust out the lighter and huff in a DuMaurier and fuck everything up. Oh sure, it may feel good at the time, but know what's going to feel good in 30 years? Your fucking hospital bed. Having a smoke is such a weak way to "make everything all better." People claim "oh, but it relieves my stress." Yeah, so do video games, so does talking, so does music, so do lots of things. I call bullshit on smoking as a stress reliever. There're better things to spend your cash on, and better ways to go about killing yourself. Three of the best girls I know inhale the idiot sticks, and one of them I only found out about recently (she also prompted this post, though this isn't totally directed at her). This is pretty much dedicated to them. I hope they're having a good time riding down the respect slide towards idiot land.

Now I'm probably going to be labelled a "cruel, insensitive guy" whose agenda is to only break the fragile souls of the people in my life. Well, give me less things to give you shit for, and I won't be giving you shit for it. I do it because I care, whether people like to believe that or not.

Moment of Zen: If you smell Doritos for a good part of the day, and the smell follows you around, you are either unclean or have sat in Doritos. Check your ass, but nonchalantly.

26 July 2004

Today I took the kegs back and got my $100.00 deposit in return. Thus, I feel rich again. Therefore I tried to go find a copy of Disgaea or Tales of Symphonia. Still tempted to get into Final Fantasy XI, but I vowed to do that only once I get a job. Which shall be soon. So, next month, Zosogoeth the sexy Elvann Thiefgirl roams Vana'diel with reckless abandon.

Tomorrow I was intending on going downtown with Sarah, but that's kind of fallen through. She claims she can't go because she's got a hair appointment at 6. I believe I really must've grabbed something. Grabass or no, I had to reschedule. So, I'm going to Rogers to bitch them out for sucking. And to get them to tweak my cellphone account. That, and I shall try my hand at EB for Disgaea.

Wednesday I have many options. One of the options is to go to this wicked computer shop run by soft-spoken Asian folk. I'm looking to build a new computer into an NES case, so I need to do my homework. Sarah needs to get a new keyboard, so I may have to pick her up one. Hmm. I claimed there were many options. I can't think of anything else I have to do on Wednesday. Sounds like a "catch up on Final Fantasy games Day." I love those days.

Thursday is the rescheduled downtown day. Anime will be purchased, as will bubble tea and street meat. I'm hopefully going to visit Nicole, as I promised I would a while ago and I still haven't made good on that. I get to be the morning/mid-afternoon guy while Sean is at work. Scandalous.

Friday I'm heading to St. Catharines to get a job. The rest of the weekend will be spent drinking, loading furniture into my house, and going to Casino Niagara. It'll be a hoot.

Hmm. Thinking about Disgaea, I think Sarah may have it. I'll try to borrow it from her. Which brings me to an announcement/plea:

If you are a girl who lives within drivable distance from me, play video games, listen to music that I deem good, don't mind someone who is overly opinionated and sarcastic, watch anime, and would rather go to a pub than a club, e-mail me. I want to know if you exist.

Wow, that doesn't sound desparate at all.

I wonder how many people actually read this aside from Christina and Donna. Oh well. Hi to you.

Moment of Zen: If your jaw clicks when you chew, you have grabbed ass in the past twenty-four hours and must immediately be high-fived.

25 July 2004

Well, "back after watching Lost in Translation" secretly means "I'm just not going to post for a week, oooh I am ever so sly."

Had one hell of a kegger. I am not organizing one of these again for a very long time. I can't say that I didn't have fun, but it's a lot of stress. I'm just going to list the main points from the weekend, the stand out ones, if you will.

- Heaving Kev into the attic to see what was up there, only to find a muffler, two car grills, two Chevrolet hubcaps, a ton of stuffed animals (including a Troll), a drivers' license from the 70's, and a photo album chronicling the entire life of some man who is now probably golfing in Florida. Probably owns a condo.

-Coating the Troll in Citrolite to sacrifice it to the party gods. The neighbour to our south must have believed that we were crazy. Wasn't a huge help when Zeynep's boyfriend Paul told her that the flaming Troll was an unwanted pet, and she got the most horrified face on. She wasn't too pleased. Went inside. Probably a good thing too, because it stank like citrus plastic.

-The Po-Po inevitably showed up, but Alex handled it really well. Turns out there're fire and noise by-laws. But we weren't there to cause a ruckus with the cops, so we complied, snuffed the fire and moved inside.

-After the two kegs were pretty well gone and most people had left or passed out, I figured it was time for bed too. For the record, I feel sorry for Sarah's boyfriend, because even though she was "secure" in her own sleeping bag, she's a violent sleeper. Sharing a futon was a fine idea at the start, but my half of the bed sloped toward the middle, and her half didn't. I have a habit of rolling in my sleep, and she had the side of the bed that I'm used to, so I was uncomfortable. So, naturally I'd roll, asleep, and bump into her. Normal people would've woken me up and said "move over." Not so in Sarah's case. No, I get a goddamn decking. I didn't even bump into anything bearing the vaguest semblance of being "naughty." Nope. Got myself a good cuff in the jaw though. So, I figure, "what the hell, she's allowed if she's uncomfortable." So I roll the other way. Unused to the right side of the bed, don't I fucking fall off?THREE TIMES. And then, when I get up in the morning, does she remember nailing me in the jaw? No. Does she remember me bumping into her? Yes. Am I at fault for unconsciously rolling as I do in my sleep? Apparently so. I just hope I grabbed some ass anyhow, making the jaw-punch almost worth it. Almost.

I stopped in Burlington on the way home from St. Catharines to see what the good word was over at Conspiracy Comics, and I ended up picking up Comic Party Vol. 1 (DVD). Seems pretty nice, and if it's anything like the manga, it'll be darn good. Sarah got a copy of Fruits Basket Vol. 3 (DVD) . Contains no fruit, nor does it come in a basket. Funny show, I dig it. Still have yet to watch it in english.

14 July 2004

I was being incessantly harassed by the biggest moth I have ever seen, aside from Mothra, misunderstood, yet ultimately benevolent adversary to equally feared and revered Godzilla. I feel a little sheepish putting myself in the role of Godzilla in this case, but man did I ever take this sucker out. Now, I'm not exaggerating the size of this thing, it was huge. To give you a visual, I call upon Penny Arcade. You all are Kara, loving and irritable spouse of Gabriel, who is confronted by the spider in the linked comic. I, following the comparison, am Gabe. Now, throw away that analogy, because I don't like it any more. The point is, if you're listening to the Samurai Champloo OST, have sprayed a moth with hairspray, and watch it writhe on the floor in agonypain delight, it appears to breakdance. This, friend, was the highlight of my day.

I really need a job. I've been looking online on the Ontario Job Bank, and I'm curious about a lot, and I know it's not that hard to find a job, but there's one problem that plagues me: I'm living in St. Catharines in mid-August. So, getting a job here for a little less than a month would be a waste of my time and that of an employer's. I figure I'll wait to get a job then, but here's the kicker: I'm out of money now. Now I have to go to the bank, find out how much I have in the savings, hope I have substantially more than a grand, take that out, and put as much of it back in as soon as I'm able. I have the Rush concert in August, the CNAnime convention towards September, and I'm being almost peer-pressured into going to Montreal again. Factor in anime, booze, and games, and I'm screwed unless I get a job soon.

Only solution I can see? Get a job in St. Cath's now and move there in the next few weeks.

I hope this post heralds the coming of a new wave of posting on my behalf.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some Samurai Champloo (awesome) and You're Under Arrest! Live Action (awesomely bad) to watch.

05 July 2004

Why am I downloading episodes of the Animaniacs? Because it was one of the greatest shows to ever grace the air, simply put. I can't think of a show that taught me more general knowledge than that, Jeopardy! aside. I've almost got all the words down to the Nations of the World song ("United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica and Peru..."). My god, it's like I've been bent over and childhood is giving me severe lashings that I can't help but enjoy.

I haven't much time left online tonight as my eyes are on fire, and I need to save them to finish watching Azumanga Daioh, so hopefully I can come up with some multiple-paragraph drivel tomorrow.

01 July 2004

Far too tired for a full post, just here to voice some concern. If you get a lift home from one of your good friends and you tell her to go online when they get home so you know they didn't get in an accident, and they don't go online, what do you do? My car is about 2km away, and she never came online. I think I worry too much, but I hope Sarah's ok.

21 June 2004

My plans for the week are as follows:
-get home on Wednesday, around 8pm
-will drink on Wednesday
-Take the Focus in for a checkup on Thursday
-Mall or downtown on Friday
-Jay-bird's on saturday, more drinking
-Sunday = hangover

I can't wait. See you folks on the other side of the Atlantic, we're going for a pint as soon as I land.

edit: I return to the Motherland at 4:30PM. Mark your calendars, children.

14 June 2004

First off, the last post was a bit of a farce, I didn't have time left on my internet card to explain what it was about. In Toronto, before flying to Europe, I picked up a bottle of Jack Daniel's. I carried it with me for a few days until I accidentally left it in Calais. I figured that was the end, but my dad decided to drive back to Calais to get it, so we did. We then drove down the length of France, through northern Spain, and finally to Provence in the south of France. I went to the trunk to find a bottle of water, and when I opened the trunk I heard a sort of CNSHH and found my bag with the JD on the ground. Never fucking fails.

Anyhow, my trip. I'm sitting here in this internet cafè in Marseille, France, whilst visiting family. Thing is, I can't really visit, as my ability to speak French has pretty much inexplicably gone down the shitter. I try, and I can make basic conversation, but sometimes I screw up and my dad mocks me, then I shut my trap. Doesn't work too well. I swear to god, if I wasn't leaving in 9 days, I'd go apeshit. Being able to speak English to only one person in limited amounts is fucking unamusing. If it wasn't for my temporary escape to the internet, I'd really go nuts.

09 June 2004

[Note: this was written in my notebook on the plane to Europe on the 3rd of June]

Sitting on the plane right now, damned if I know what time it is...shit. At home it's 11:53pm and midair it's...no clue. Either way, sun's on the rise outside. I think we're over Scotland or the North Sea...done the Atlantic Crossing. All crashes from here on aren't going to be as light and fluffy as water-based ones are.

I have just noticed my peculiar pen. Purple gel pen. Super-fucking flamboyant pen. I shall name it Prince.

How I wish I had a laptop. That way I could watch non-shitty movies and hear my own - good - music here. Shit, two episodes into Midori no Hibi and I'm hooked. I'm compelled to draw a special picture.

(edit: will scan it when I can)

Why the shit did I wear my Cons on the plane - again? Feet expand on planes, idiot.

Bah

Current mood: hungry, over Scotland
zb:out

1944

We landed in Amsterdam and promptly got our car and fled (I know, I know...). We got to the Peugeot dealership and got our keys in the most sketchy place. The "office" had 2 tables, a Pepsi machine, an odd number of chairs, and enough cigarette butts to fill a grave. The Dutch...strange fucking folk, they are.

So, off we went. I passed out, missed Belgium (word to my homie Pras), arrived in Calais, and got a hotel. In a nutshell. Went for a walk to the beach to see Ben (Dover), saw dick all. One of the best things in France is their pastries, one being their beignets (doughnuts):. They rock the Casbah. Had ourselves a fancy dinner, then I had the shittiest sleep of my life. Worst. Futon. Ever. I kept rolling to the middle. Back was so sore. Bah, sleeping on the floor tonight.

Current mood: sore
zb:out

Newest post begins....NOW

June 9, 2004

Zoso
Age: 19 +1

ZOSO LEVELLED UP!

...I'm twenty now, and I play far too much Final Fantasy Tactics.

20 eh? Wow...what the hell have I done thus far? I've become the best damn oxygen thief in the world, that's what.

Since last post I've done the following:

-left calais
-went to Normandy
-stayed in Rouen for 2 days
-forgot my booze in Calais
-went BACK to Calais
-drove to Blois
-drove to Biarritz
-going to bed

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